Country Bumpkins and City Slickers
by AristoMuse
Summary: Taking an extended road trip to avoid dropping Akira home, the Phantom Thieves make a pit stop at a small country town in the middle of nowhere. Checking in at the famous Amagi Inn, they meet certain individuals around the town that strikes them as familiar, but they know they've never met. DISCONTINUED.
1. Chapter 1

Full summary: "Taking an extended road trip to avoid dropping Akira home, the Phantom Thieves make a pit stop at a small country town in the middle of nowhere. Checking in at the famous Amagi Inn, they meet certain individuals around the town that strikes them as familiar, but they know they've never met. Receiving the same stares back, what would happen when a team of detectives meet a team of thieves, especially when for the first time, gods aren't butting in?

Chaos. And lots of meat eating competitions."

special mention goes to guest1995 who wondered what the group could do after the game ended since they were already on the road. Weeeeeell, I had this story written up almost a year ago and never posted it here on FFNET. So here it is!

 **This is a post P4G only x post P5 story**

So before we start this story, I should list some things here. This ties in with my first and main story, "The World Is Ours." It isn't far enough along to really connect with this one though, except my OC is part of the group, so no worries!

-The OC is named Kimisawa Airi, her Persona is Jeanne (based on Jeanne De Valois Saint Remy), she's bless skilled, and is the romantic partner for Akira.  
-Akechi survived and joined the team officially after Shido's Palace.  
-In my story, Akira is from Mishima, Japan which is about 3 hours away from Tokyo by car. It's near the eastern coastline and is a bit bigger than Inaba. It's more well known due to being a pitstop between Kyoto and Tokyo and so is a richer town.  
-I'm making P5 10 years after P4. Due to the advancements in technology, slang, etc, it would make more sense if the P4 group were more seasoned adults for this. I know P5 hints that Rise is like 21, but I don't feel like 5 years is enough to create the relationships I want between predecessors and successors. I also want to explore the darker side of having your journey come to a close, which I'll be doing with Yu a lot.  
-Yu here is a lot darker than ingame or in the spin offs. I never played those so I can't accurately judge his personality, and in P4G he was basically a mannequin. This is based off of his hard boiled costume.  
-This will be short, only for a couple of chapters because I don't want to evolve this into a bigger story. Think of it like DLC I guess? But then again I can't predict how this will go, so it could turn out longer.

 **PERSONA 5 is a copyrighted product of the company ATLUS. I don't own anything except for my OC, Kimisawa Airi. This is written for fun and not for monetary gain.**

* * *

"So, where should we go from here?" Ryuji asked while leaning against the front seats.

They were on the freeway, kilometers away from Tokyo. It had been hours since they set off on their way to Mishima in their large white van, but Akira was reluctant to return home and face his parents again. Wanting to give their leader one last good memory, they decided to take a detour. Having refilled their tank at a gas station with the attendant giving them strange looks for having no adults, they set off again with no real destination in mind.

"Um..." Ann hummed, scrolling the GPS on her phone. "It's getting kinda late, yeah?"

The group glanced through the windows to see the sun set within the horizon, casting orange rays across the rice paddies of the countryside. They had been driving for a while now, long passing Mishima by taking another route to go further inland.

"Why don't we find a place to stop for the night?" Airi suggested, adjusting under the weight of Akira's head resting on her shoulder. He had fallen asleep about an hour ago after doing his stupid stunt of standing up through the skylight while the van was going 60k/h. Curled up in his lap was Morgana, snoring quietly as the engine lulled it to sleep. "Makoto's been driving for a while now, and we're all probably tired."

Makoto nodded tiredly, eyes never leaving the road. "Yes, please. Is there anything close by?"

Humming, Futaba typed away on her laptop, crouching in the backseat. "...Um, there's a small town about ten kilometers away called Inaba. Kind of middle of nowhere. There's supposedly a famous inn there called "The Amagi Inn." I can do an online reservation right now?"

Haru perked up next to the hacker. "Oh, I know that place! They're famous for their hotsprings and hospitality!" She smiled cheerfully. "I remember spending a night there once on a business trip with my father. He didn't particularly seemed like he was impressed, but he wasn't complaining either."

"A hotsprings, hm..?" Yusuke grasped his chin thoughtfully, leaning against his seat on the other side of Futaba. "It would certainly be a treat. I don't seem to recall if we ever had an official celebration after defeating Yaldabaoth."

"Well, not with Akira..." Airi smiled forlornly. He was incarcerated at the time and the party wasn't as lively as it would've been with him there. "Then it's settled. Futaba?"

"Gotcha!" She grinned, the computer keys clacking only a decibel higher than the engine. "One suite, coming right up!"

Turning around in his seat, wincing when Akira unconsciously smacked him in the arm, Ryuji gave the hacker an odd look. "How're you gettin' wifi out here? We're in the boonies."

"Hehe..." Futaba snickered, holding up a red square object that was connected to her laptop via a USB cord. "I got an egg, of course. Can't leave home without it."

"Don't hack us a room, OK?" Makoto sighed, taking the exit coming up on the right. "We do have enough money to pay."

Futaba pouted. "Of course I won't! It's not like this inn has a system advanced enough for that. As far as online check-ins, they're pretty behind on the times." Tapping against the keyboard a few more times, she ended with the enter key. "...Aaand done! I got us a suite for tonight, and it comes with free use of the hot springs!" She grinned victoriously.

"All right!" Ann cheered loudly, waking Akira up with a grunt. "It'll be nice to wash off the sand from earlier!"

"Huh...?" Akira groaned, blinking his eyes as he woke up. "What's happening?"

"Well good morning, sleeping beauty." Ryuji teased. "It's been a million years since you fell asleep, and humanity is now ruled by robots!"

Yawning, the leader snuggled deeper into his girlfriend's shoulder and inhaled her calm scent. "'Kay..."

Airi gently shook him off. "Don't fall back asleep," She advised softly. "We're almost at our destination for the night."

He grumbled but acquiesced. He sat up in his seat and ruffled his hair, messing up his curls even more than usual. "We're not in Mishima..."

His shifting woke Morgana up in his lap, and the feline yawned, stretching out his back. "Where are we..?"

Slowing the van down as they entered the town, Makoto gripped the wheel with her gloved hands, turning at the corner as Ann's GPS dictated. "We're in Inaba right now. We should be at the inn in a few minutes."

A honk pierced through the quiet night, and they glanced back at the black car that had been tailing them for several hours. "Oh, right." Airi sweatdropped. "Did any of us tell Akechi that we were stopping?"

"Ah shit." Ryuji sighed, taking his phone out to call the detective. "I'll do it."

"Why is he driving alone again..?" Akira yawned, leaning against his girlfriend again. "We coulda squeezed him in here."

"I believe he said, and I quote," Yusuke began, crossing his arms in his thin striped sports jacket. "'I wouldn't want to be stuck in a car with you idiots or else I might catch your stupidity. I'll drive my own car, and none of you better get in with me.'"

"How mean of Akechi-kun." Haru frowned softly. "He's part of the group now, but he's so cold with us still."

"Well..." Ann winced. "We can't blame him. We did ruin all his plans and almost got him killed."

Morgana snorted. "He should be groveling at our feet for saving him after what he had done to us." He began grooming a paw. "He was lucky that mom gave him that chance or else he'd have disappeared into the Metaverse."

Airi gave him a disapproving frown, lightly flicking his forehead. "None of that, Morgana. You know he's been trying to get better by going to the therapist, and he's still our teammate and friend."

Makoto pursed her lips as she slowly parked into the inn's mostly empty parking lot. "Yes, we should be supporting him. We all know he does like us, he just doesn't want to show it."

Futaba snickered, closing her laptop with a snap. "What a Tsun-Tsun."

The feline sighed, getting up on all fours. "Yes, yes..." He darted through the small opening as Ryuji slid the door on his side open and landed on the cement. "Ahh! Fresh air!" He purred, shaking his body.

The group slowly got out of the van, groaning as they stretched after being cramped in such a small space for so long. The Inn in front of them was a traditional Japanese Inn, equipped with a koi pond in the front lawn. The building was large with several floors, made from traditional wood and plaster from generations ago, only updated to keep up with the times. Behind the building was steam slowly rising up into the night sky, most likely where the hot springs were.

They stopped as the other car slowly pulled up, parking next to them. With a click, the driver's door opened, revealing Akechi wearing a frown. "It would've been courteous of you guys if you informed me earlier."

Airi smiled apologetically. "Sorry, we only decided it about ten minutes ago on the road. How was the drive for you?"

He sighed sharply, cracking his neck. "It was fine. Let's just go in already. Driving for so long is ruining my back."

Chatting with each other, the group of thieves walked into the inn, not knowing they were about to encounter another group.

One that had achieved a similar goal almost a decade ago.

* * *

Taking another drag of his cigarette, Yu slowly inhaled the carcinogens, filling his lungs with the calming smoke.

It was another slow night in Inaba, the moon shining brightly in the star filled sky. Ever since he decided to stay in the town, he threw himself into his schoolwork, graduating with a degree and immediately entering the Police Force. He was now one of the top detectives in the town, only below his uncle.

Dojima Ryotaro was getting on in the years, and though he didn't show it, he was glad to have another trustworthy detective at his side again. He never took on another partner after Adachi confessed to his crimes, preferring to work alone in case another partner decided he was going to be a murdering psychopath again.

Chie was also a police officer, his assistant of all things. She had stood by her promise to keep on protecting what was precious to her, and that was this town and its people. She was out on a run right now in fact, making sure all the citizens were safe. No longer screaming about Kung-fu and eating meat, now she was only excitedly talking about kung-fu and eating meat. They would have a dinner at Aiya's at least once a month if everyone could make it. She insisted.

Yosuke had taken over as Head Manager at Junes, making sure the mega store ran as smoothly as he could possibly make it. He counted inventory, hired local workers, and even made sure to give back to the town. It had been years, but he knew that his family ruined Inaba's markets and he always felt guilty about it. Saki had secretly hated him for it as well, and it encouraged him to love this town as much as she had and more. The townsfolk no longer talked bad about his business, finally accepting that June's is here for good, and he made sure to source all produce locally to keep up the good relationship.

Now that the fiasco with Izanami-no-Okami was done, Teddie had stayed in the human world, opting to help out at June's. He was officially this branch's mascot, and his bear costume always brought smiles to children. Nanako loved him dearly, and always made sure to chat whenever she was at June's. (Which was every day.)

Yukiko stayed in Inaba, and after several jobs, finally took over as the manager of The Amagi Inn. She had grown up into a graceful young woman, a Yamato Nadeshiko, and greeted her guests with a mature and calm smile every time. She had improved the Inn, upgraded the technology, and even set up an online site for check-ins. She hoped more and more people would travel to her business, and fall in love with Inaba just as she had done so.

Rise was now a big star in Japan, doing both modeling and singing. She had technically moved out to Tokyo for work, but had promised the group that her Marukyu Tofu shop was her real home as it was with them. Her grandmother was getting on in years as well, and she came back frequently to help out.

Her health declining over the years, Kanji decided to inherit the textile shop from his mother, making sure to take care of her as much as he could. His skills as a doll craftsmen grew and soon the entire town was enamored with his creations. Every child had at least one doll from his shop, and every family made sure that their fabrics would come from him first and foremost. He was so happy that everyone accepted his hobby that he began to mellow out, not letting awkward comments get to him like they used to back when they were in high school.

The busiest person would be Naoto. Having lent her skills to every force in Japan, she traveled all over the country to help out with cases. The last case had been with those Phantom Thieves, chaining her to Tokyo for months. Kanji had been kind of depressed during that time, and Yu honestly still didn't know what their relationship was, even after ten years.

The Phantom Thieves.

That was a name that brought pride and envy inside of him. Pride that there were other people, kids now, who were defending humans with all their strength against corrupt gods just like they had. They risked their lives to change the hearts of so many corrupted people, and helped countless victims with their powers.

He even remembered that artist girl in high school who said she was going to go to the big city to showcase her artworks. She never did come back, and he found out only a couple months ago that she became one of the apprentices of Madarame Ichiryusai. The man who took in young artists to mentor them, only to steal their artworks and livelihood.

He was saddened to hear she was found dead in an alley after being kicked out of her Sensei's house, having wandered into the seedy parts of Tokyo looking for a job to buy a train ticket home. She could've been something, and that man stole her life from her. It was only thanks to The Phantom Thieves that she and the other apprentices had been avenged.

Envy, because he wished he could relive those days where he would go into the TV with his friends. Utilizing his Personas to fight Shadows, and saving people before they were killed. After defeating Izanami-no-Okami, who was now his longtime girlfriend Mariko, the Midnight Channel stopped working.

She had taken back that power to prevent other people from falling into the Shadow world, and worked as a weather reporter. Even if she did re-open the tunnel, she admitted that only Igor could control Personas, and since he had fulfilled his contract with the long nosed man, there was no more need of him to enter that world.

They were no longer needed.

He craved that excitement again, the days when his blood would boil with excitement and adrenaline under his skin as he struck down his enemies with his blade. The kendo room at the Police Station was a pale substitute, and he had already beaten his fellow officers at least twice each. Him and Chie had always tied, his taijutsu not being his forte, but even that got boring after the 20th time.

When that incident last year during December was broadcast on all the channels, he tried to reach Naoto, frantically calling about getting the team together and saving the people from the corrupt god. By the time Naoto got onto the scene however, The Phantom Thieves had the support of the entire nation, the world. He couldn't believe his eyes when the screen showed one of the members, the leader he assumed, summon a giant six winged demon to shoot down the god.

It was awe-inspiring.

He exhaled, letting the smoke escape his lips. He knew it was pointless to keep thinking back on the past, but he knew he wasn't the only one. Every time the Investigation Team got together (that's what they called themselves), they all spoke about how much they wished they could get back into the action.

Maybe one day.

* * *

 _-Inaba is based off of Fuefuki, which is pretty inland and so would be farther away from the ocean and Mishima._  
 _-An egg is a portable wifi hotspot, commonly used in Japan because almost all the wifi ports are locked with passwords. You usually have to pay a fee per month, but it's honestly super worth it to invest in one if you travel a lot._  
 _-Tsun-Tsun refers to Tsundere, a character trait where someone denies they have affections when it's obvious they do. "It's not like I like you, b-baka!"_  
 _-Yamato Nadeshiko is a term for Japanese women who represent the classic style of beauty. They usually have long straight black hair, pale skin, soft voices, and courtly manners._  
 _-Artist girl is the girl on the first floor in front of the counselor's room in Yasogami High._  
 _-Taijutsu is hand to hand combat, and could refer to kung fu, muay thai, karate, tae kwon do, etc._

 _Let me know what you think of it so far!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you to jadasimone16, fatty635, MathAtMidnight, and guest1995 for reviewing!_

 _MathAtMidnight: This fic was written almost over a year ago when I was just starting out, and isn't meant to be taken seriously. It's more of a side project to see what I could do with P4, considering I had just finished the game. It certainly is obligatory to explain what the characters are doing now since I've extended the time span from the canon 5 years to 10 years._

* * *

Sliding the front door open, they were greeted with polished wooden floors and thin shoji doors, the inn giving off even more of a traditional feeling inside. There were a couple of bamboo plants to their left of the entrance, and to their right was a vending machine for drinks, a straw waste basket next to it. The walls were covered in a light yellow and dark gold leaf wallpaper, giving off a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

There was only one person working at the desk this late in the evening, and they stopped, staring in surprise.

It was a beautiful young woman in her twenties, her straight black hair shining that healthy glow all women aim to achieve. Her skin was as soft as moon light, and her dark red kimono complimented her slim figure gracefully. Dark eyes surrounded by thick lashes looked up from the computer and she perked up, her small red lips spreading into a smile. "Welcome to The Amagi Inn. My name is Yukiko." She bowed. "Do you have a reservation?"

Ryuji let out a low whistle, looking up and down at their host. "Daaamn...I didn't know country girls were so pretty."

Rolling her eyes, Ann smacked the back of his head. "Keep your eyes to yourself! We're only here for a night, remember?" She gave the older woman an apologetic smile. "Sorry for him, he doesn't know how to control his mouth sometimes."

Yukiko chuckled quietly, covering her mouth daintily with a sleeve. "Don't worry, I'm rather used to that. Now then, do you have a reservation?"

Airi nodded, walking up to the counter. "Yes, we reserved a room a couple minutes ago online."

She nodded, looking back down at her computer. "Name, please?"

Blinking, she looked at Futaba. "Who's name did you use anyway?"

The hacker gave her a innocent grin, clasping her hands behind her. "Yours. I was gonna put it under Haru but her account's monitored..."

Airi sighed, turning back to the host. "Kimisawa Airi. We reserved for nine persons."

Yukiko nodded. "One moment, please..." She checked the inn's database, seeing the new reservation made ten minutes ago, just as she was told. "I see it. One large suite. You're paying by card?"

"Uh, if it's not too much trouble..." Airi smiled apologetically, taking out the thin piece of plastic from her wallet. "I know the countryside doesn't really use cards."

The inn hostess smiled, accepting the card. "It's no problem. We pride ourselves on accommodating our guests as much as we can. It will take me a couple of minutes though, we don't use the credit machine often." She gestured to the right where a sitting area was situated, empty of any guests or employees. "You're welcome to take a seat while I process this. I'll let you know once I've finished." She bowed before moving to the side where a bulky verification machine was.

The group of teenagers moved to the large sitting room, taking a seat on the yellow couches. It seemed this part of the inn didn't require them to remove their shoes yet, so they were able to relax in their own clothes. Yusuke immediately moved to the large window, observing the moon shining brightly in the night sky. He took out his sketchbook and began drawing, absorbed in the image.

Taking a seat, Akira subtly unzipped his bag, letting Morgana see a bit of the outside.

"Hey, be careful." Futaba warned as she booted up her laptop. "This inn didn't say they have a pet policy, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

Akechi rolled his eyes, crossing his legs. "Imagine us getting kicked out of the only place we could stop for the night over something like this." He took out his phone, idly browsing his emails.

"Well, so sorry for not turning human!" Morgana grumbled quietly, hunching forward in his bag. "I'll have to talk with my master about this..."

Haru perked up as she sat with her hands on her lap. "Oh, you mean the large nosed man we met inside that Velvet Room? He was certainly intimidating."

Akira snorted. "Not as intimidating as Yaldabaoth's version of him. Imagine waking up to that but his voice had two tones, and all he did was laugh evilly at you."

Ann shushed them, holding a finger in front of her lips. "Guys, quiet!" They glanced over at the inn host who was still absorbed in her attempt to work the machine. She turned back, making sure to keep her voice at a low volume. "It might be all over now, but we don't need people saying 'oh, you're the Phantom Thieves!'"

Yawning, Ryuji slouched in his seat next to her. "C'mon, let us enjoy the fame for a bit! We deserve it, right? I doubt these guys out in the country would know about us anyway."

Airi rolled her eyes, sending an email from her phone to her credit card company about using it out of Tokyo. "People still don't know that _we're_ the thieves though, and didn't people in Hawaii know about us? Right, Makoto?" She turned to the former council president, but she didn't respond, her eyes focused in the direction of their host. "Makoto?"

The group turned to watch her, getting worried as she had yet to speak or even blink. Scooting closer, Futaba poked her in her side. "Mako?"

Jumping at the unexpected touch, Makoto gasped, tearing her eyes away and focusing on her friends. "Huh?! What?"

Ann furrowed her brow. "Are you OK, Makoto? You were staring at Yukiko-san pretty intensely..."

She blinked, and blinked again. "I was? Oh..." She glanced back at the woman. "There's just...something familiar about her. I don't know what it is, but I feel like I know her somehow."

Akechi raised a brow. "You've never been out of Tokyo, though. It would be impossible for you to have met her before...Though I suppose you might've seen her on the news once."

Pausing from his sketch, Yusuke turned to him, pencil in hand. "The news? Had something happened here?"

The detective nodded. "There was a murder at this inn several years ago, about ten if I am correct. The victim disappeared here and wound up dead a day later, hung up on another rooftop's antenna."

Ann cringed. "Yikes. That sounds...horrible." She shifted in her seat, feeling uncomfortable at being in a place where a murder had taken place. "Did they ever catch the killer?"

A dry smile grew on his face. "As a matter of fact, they did a few months later. It was a junior detective by the name of Adachi Tohru."

Akira frowned, resting his elbows on his thighs. "Did you know him?"

Akechi rolled his eyes. "Did you think I knew a detective who was incarcerated ten years ago? No. But his story was interesting to read out." His dark eyes idly roamed the lobby. "It would certainly benefit me to hear the story from the locals."

Morgana stood up at attention. "Makoto, is it something inside you telling you that? Not your head?"

Makoto nodded hesitantly. "H-How did you know?"

"Pardon the interruption, but the machine is finished!"

The group looked up to see Yukiko waving them over. Getting up from her seat, Airi walked over to the counter. "I've charged you for one night and I've also allocated you to our largest guest suite with its own dining room and separate bedrooms. Check-out is at 3PM tomorrow." The host handed over the credit card as well as their receipt. Taking it, Airi pocketed it back in her wallet. "I'll show you to your rooms. Follow me." She bowed, before leading them to the stairs.

Airi gestured to her friends, and the group followed the host up to the third floor where she knelt in front of a door, slid it open, and gestured them inside.

"I hope you'll enjoy your stay here." Yukiko bowed, forehead touching the floor. "The hot springs are open now if you'd like to take a soak. We also offer a laundry service in the locker rooms."

Airi bowed back, though without getting on her knees. "Thank you very much, Yukiko-san. I think we'll do that in a few minutes."

Smiling, the inn hostess stood up and stilled, her dark eyes meeting red ones. Something in her chest moved, a sensation that she hadn't felt in years.

Makoto stared back, not saying a word.

"I..." Yukiko blinked, furrowing her brow. It was as if... "Please excuse me. Dinner will be sent up soon."

Turning away from the group, she hurriedly walked back down to the lobby, her heart thundering in her rib cage. What was that? It was if she had her Persona again. But that was impossible, wasn't it? Mariko had closed the portal years ago. Yu had told them that he had access to their Personas due to a otherworldly man named Igor, but he completed a contract with him and he disappeared. They didn't have Personas anymore. So why did she feel that familiar warmth of Sumeo-Okami?

"Yukikoooo~!"

She looked up, seeing Chie skip up to her still in her police uniform. "Hey, we were thinking of getting the group together tonight!" She grinned energetically, adjusting her police cap. "Rise and Naoto are back in town for a couple of days. Are you free?"

Yukiko slowly shook her head. "No. There were some last minute guests who just checked in. They..." She paused, looking down at her tabi covered feet. "...They were strange."

Chie furrowed her brow in confusion. "Strange? Were they delinquents or something? 'Cause if so, just say the word and I'll kick them out for you!" She pumped a fist, getting into a martial arts stance.

Yukiko laughed fondly at her usual antics. Even after ten years, they were still the best of friends. "No, nothing like that. They were pretty calm for teenagers. One of them even acted as chaperone." The smile fell from her face. "But I felt...something."

"Teenagers, huh?" Chie grinned. "I remember when we were teenagers, kicking butt in the TV. But what did you feel?"

"Exactly what you just said." Yukiko replied quietly. "I felt that feeling like when we were inside the TV world. I felt her again...Sumeo-Okami."

Hazel eyes widened. "Wh-What?! No way!" Chie uttered, taking a step back in shock. "But Yu told us we're done with that stuff!"

Yukiko nodded solemnly. "I know, but I know what I felt. There was one girl, a brunette with red eyes, that really struck me as familiar for some reason, but I know I've never met her." Her lips straightened. "Once our eyes met, I could feel my Persona again for a split second..."

Chie frowned, crossing her arms. "You think they're here to cause trouble? If you could feel that power again, it could be because they might be enemies..." She glanced at the stairs that led to the guest rooms. "Maybe I should see for myself. You think I can right now?"

The inn hostess pursed her lips, taking a cloth out to clean the counter. "The chaperone, Kimisawa-san, said they'll be using the hot springs in a bit. You should be able to see them when they're heading there."

Chie nodded. "Gotcha. In the meantime, why don't you call Yu to let him know about this? He's still our leader, y'know. He'd bring Mari-chan too, and she can definitely confirm for us."

Yukiko nodded, taking out her phone. "Right, I'll do that now. Why don't we have dinner here then?"

The police officer grinned and rubbed her hands together. "Guess it'll be...a steak out."

Choking, Yukiko covered her mouth as she laughed hysterically at the terrible joke.

* * *

Taking off their shoes at the entrance, the thieves walked into the suite, looking around curiously. It was a traditional tatami room, a large low dining table situated in the middle with several low chairs surrounding it. There were a few alcoves with decorative swords and plates, and to the sides were other shoji doors, open to show large rooms with futons already prepared.

"This is really nice!" Ann marveled, clapping her hands together. "I'm so glad we drove this way!"

Running into one of the bedrooms, Futaba launched herself at the futon that was farthest away. "Dibs on this one!" She yelled, bundling herself in the thick blanket.

Yusuke furrowed his brow at her actions. "Should you not wash up before doing that? We were in the van for hours."

She stuck her tongue out, but bowed to his logic, getting up from the floor. "Stupid Inari, I'll do what I want!" Going up to her bag, she took her laptop out, placing it on the dining table. Her face fell at the few bars in the corner of the screen. "Wow, the wifi here sucks..."

Ryuji snorted, taking a seat next to her. "I'm surprised there _is_ wifi here...But hey," He looked around awkwardly. "You think they might kick us out if they find out Morgana's here?"

Said feline bristled, jumping out of the bag. "They're more likely to kick you out than me. I'm sure before the night's over, you'd cause a scene." He slowly groomed himself, licking a paw. "I'm not the delinquent, after all."

Haru stretched her arms in the air, sighing contently. "It's been a long time since we've gone to a hot springs. I remember the last time I was here, there weren't any gender divisions, so men and women would have to soak at different times..."

The room was filled with chatter as the group of thieves settled into their room for the night, tired from their hours long drive. Glancing at the still quiet upperclassman, Airi guided her to the other bedroom, sliding the door closed behind them. "What's wrong, Makoto? Is it that feeling again?"

Makoto nodded quietly, eyes staring ahead. "I felt Anat reacting to her presence. As if...As if she was a Persona user."

Her eyebrows raised at the claim. That wasn't what she expected to hear today. "...Are you sure?" Airi pressed. "Do you think she might've been another pawn of Yaldabaoth's?"

Makoto shook her head, her brown hair framing her cheeks. "No, nothing like that. More like..." She struggled to find the words, biting her lip. "It was like seeing myself in a way. I got the same feeling from her like when I would charge up a spell." Sighing, she sat down on the tatami mat, tucking her legs beneath her. "It doesn't make sense..."

Taking a seat next to her, Airi softly bumped shoulders with her. "Hey, we're here with you, right? The whole team is here. Whatever happens, we'll always have each other's backs." She smiled gently. "We'll figure this out."

Staring at her for a moment, a small smile grew on her lips. "You're right. Thanks, Airi." She stretched her arms in the air and cracked her knuckles, relieving the ache of grabbing the steering wheel for hours. "It might've been a fluke, but we should test this to confirm our theory."

The door slid open, showing Akira smiling amusedly down at them. "Which means we're staying for more than one night?"

Airi blinked at his appearance. "You were listening in?"

Grinning at her, he rubbed the back of his neck. "These doors aren't soundproof. Anyway, if I'm getting what you're saying, Makoto, it would mean she's a Persona user." His eyes sharpened, glancing at the entrance. "And when there's one Persona user..."

"There's usually more." Akechi finished, crossing his arms.

"Case in point: You." Ryuji snorted, getting up from the floor. "So, we've got another Persona user in the house, huh? That Yukiko lady?"

Airi furrowed her brow. It didn't make sense for there to be more Persona users since Yaldabaoth was dealt with. "Futaba, can you search her up?"

"Already on it..." Futaba grinned, fingers flying all over her keyboard. "Like I said before, The Amagi Inn is famous around these parts. It's known as "The Jewel of Inaba," and it's been passed down through the generations. Yukiko is the latest, taking over about two years ago."

Haru raised her brows. "Wow, I'm impressed. Taking over a family business is hard work." She glanced toward the door. "Maybe I can ask for some advice..."

"She went to Yasogami High School which is in the area, and..." Futaba stopped, staring at the screen. "She was kidnapped for a week?"

The group looked at her in surprise. "What does that mean?" Akira asked, leaning against the door frame.

"It means exactly that. She went missing for a week, then reappeared." Futaba scrunched up her face. "...And get this, she wasn't the only one kidnapped. A Tatsumi Kanji, Kujikawa Rise, and Shirogane Naoto also went missing in this town before reappearing as if nothing happened."

Ann perked up. "Oh, Risette is from this town?!" She clasped her hands excitedly. "I've always looked up to her! I almost met her once for a shoot, but she got called away for a much bigger production..." She pouted. "But I have all her CDs! Hey, you think she's here?!"

Akechi grimaced. "Focus, Takamaki. Didn't you hear she was also kidnapped?" He grasped his chin speculatively. "Shirogane Naoto...Four high school students were kidnapped, then reappeared as if nothing happened. Is there anything else?"

"Uhh..." Futaba switched from the police database to the local school's filing system, quickly scrolling through the information. "They were all classmates, and were seen hanging out frequently. Other people of interest are a Satonaka Chie, Hanamura Yosuke, and a Narukami Yu. This Yu guy's cousin was kidnapped too, but they caught the perp."

Airi raised her brows. "Teenagers catching a criminal, now why does that sound familiar..." She sighed, rolling her neck tiredly. "Guess Makoto's theory is becoming more and more likely. You think this whole group was their own Phantom Thieves group?"

"Unlikely."

They turned to Morgana who was sitting on the windowsill, looking up at the moon. "How so?" Akira furrowed his brow, crossing his arms.

"We are the only Phantom Thieves to exist in this day and age. There are no others in our line of work." The feline answered, turning to look at the teenagers, his leader specifically. "But that doesn't mean we're the only Persona Users. My master has existed for sometime now, and you're not the first person he's made a contract with."

* * *

 _-Shoji doors are sliding doors. They can be paper, plastic, foam, etc. Washi is when it's rice paper._  
 _-Tatami are traditional straw mats._  
 _-Low chairs are basically cushions with back support._  
 _-tabi are white colored socks that separate the big toe from the other toes._  
 _-credit/debit cards are not widely used in Japan, even in the cities. Cash is the way to go, though most hotels and inns will take card._  
 _-I'm going by the assumption that once you finish your contract with Igor, your effect on Personas disappear. As in, you can't fuse/add skills/ etc. You can't summon a Persona outside of the Metaverse without deity powers becoming involved. I'll explain this further in future chapters._


	3. Chapter 3

"...Did I actually make a contract with him?" Akira rubbed the back of his neck. "I really only talked to him for about...five minutes total."

Airi coughed, trying to hide her laugh. "Right, you said you've been strengthening your bond with Yaldabaoth in disguise." She giggled at his blanch, smoothing down her black skirt as she adjusted her legs. "Were you good friends?"

Letting out a heavy sigh, he collapsed next to her and hid his face in her shoulder. "I went through so much abuse..."

Jumping from the ledge, Morgana padded up to the group as they sat down. "It still counts. He did it in master's name." He stated, grooming a whisker. "In any case, we aren't the only Persona users to exist. I can feel the remnants of a god in this town...No doubt someone was chosen to go against them."

Akechi flinched. "Another god..?" He grimaced, looking away, conflict in his eyes. "Is it wise to stay here any longer, then?"

Taking off her dusty blue coat, Haru shuffled on her legs to sit closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Akechi-kun. We won't let anything happen to you." She smiled even as he brushed her off with an irritated frown. "You're one of us, and we already beat one god into submission." She giggled daintily at the memory. "We can do it again."

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji grinned, pumping his fists. "Ain't nothin' that can bring us down!"

They all nodded with a smile on their faces. They wouldn't be able to forget that final battle with the distorted god. It was such a close call that they almost died and doomed humanity. Knowing that people believed in their abilities had strengthened their resolves to be stronger than his. That was the only way that Satanael was summoned with his full power. Anything after that would never be able to compare.

"So..." Ann began, twirling a ponytail. "Doesn't that mean that they're our senpais?"

Makoto blinked. "Do you think Yukiko-san is mine then?"

"Could be." Futaba answered distractedly, eyes glued to her screen. "It's only you who's feeling those feels with her. Maybe you guys should make out and see how that effects you."

Makoto blushed furiously, covering her feverish face while Yusuke furrowed his brow. "Why would they do that? What would that accomplish?"

The hacker snickered, hugging her olive jacket closer to herself. "Maybe she's her soulmate and that's why she's all tingly-"

"All right," Airi held out her hands in a stop motion, rolling her eyes. "Enough of that. It's getting late and we still haven't washed off. We should go to the hot springs now."

"Agreed." Akechi grimaced, getting up from his seat on the mat, brushing imaginary dust off of his blue knitted vest. "I don't want to be thinking something's _destined_ for me anymore."

Getting up from the floor, they put on their complimentary slippers and headed down the stairs, Akira hiding Morgana in his bag. Following the signs on the walls, they headed toward the back of the inn on the first floor to where the locker rooms and hot springs were located.

Turning the corner, they paused, tensing at the police uniform on the woman casually leaning against the wall. She was fiddling with her phone, and looked up at the sound of their footsteps. "Oh, hey!" She grinned, giving them a wave. "I don't recognize you guys. Welcome to Inaba!"

Airi smiled politely, inwardly panicking. Why was there a police officer hanging around in the exact same inn they were in? "Thank you, keisatsu-san. Are you here for a soak as well?"

Chie shook her head, putting her phone in her pocket, her hand grazing against her baton. "Nah. Yukiko's a good friend of mine, and we were thinking of having a group dinner again."

Brown eyes sharpened at the action, and Akechi plastered a smile as well. "Oh, is that so? Well, don't let us keep you. I'm sure they're waiting for you now."

She laughed, not noticing the subtle dig for information. "Yeah, it's been a while since Rise and Naoto are in town!" She brightened. "We should hang out! There's not much to do in Inaba, but we could show you around tomorrow if you're staying that long!"

A smirk grew on his lips and Akira nodded. Perfect opportunity presented right in their laps. "We'll take you up on that."

"Awesome!" She grinned before her eyes widened. "Oh! I almost forgot! My name's Satonaka Chie! It's nice to meet you guys!"

Glancing at one another at the name, Airi smiled, stepping forward. "It's nice to meet you as well, Satonaka-san. I'm Airi, and this is Akira, Akechi, Makoto, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Haru, and Futaba." She introduce them, gesturing to each person named.

Chie rubbed the back of her head as she laughed awkwardly. "Just Chie if you don't mind! And wow, you guys are a big group!" She gazed at all the teenagers with a smile. "Are you on a road trip?"

"Something like that..." Makoto answered quietly, her smile slightly nervous as she fiddled with a button on her blue blazer jacket. "We were just going to spend the night. This was the only place to rest that showed up on our GPS."

She nodded in understanding. "Well, you won't be disappointed!" She grinned, leaning against the wall. "The hot springs are amazing! And they're gender divided now, so you don't have to worry about the guys being perverts." She raised a brow at the male teenagers, stopping at the blond. She stilled, feeling her chest pulse with a familiar thrum. Was this what Yukiko had meant?

Resting his thumbs in his pockets, Ryuji stared down at her, a frown on his lips.

Yusuke raised a brow, crossing his arms over his pin striped beige jacket. "Perverts? For what reason?"

The group sweatdropped at his obliviousness.

She blinked, and blinked again. "Er...Well, I'm not gonna stop you for any longer!" She smiled nervously. "Enjoy your soak!" She tried to walk past them toward the lobby. Brushing against the blond's arm, she flinched as the touch zapped her like an electric socket, even through her thick uniform. She walked faster, speeding down the hall.

Tensing, he swerved his head to watch as she quickly retreated, eyes wide as goosebumps rose underneath his sweater from the cold temperatures.

Now that the group was alone, Morgana sneaked his head from the small opening in the bag. "So. Any of you get a feeling with her?"

Slowly turning back to the group, Ryuji nodded. "Y-Yeah...I get what Makoto was talkin' about now." He gingerly rubbed the spot that had touched the police officer. "Can't believe she's a fuckin' cop though..."

Ann snorted, resting her arm on his shoulder. "Poor you," She mocked teasingly. "You're going to abide by the law around her."

Akira reached up to adjust his glasses, pausing when he realized he didn't wear them anymore. "If we can believe her, their members are all in town." He stated quietly. "Right in this inn..."

Ann perked up. "Right! She said "Rise" is back in town. You think that's Risette?" She clapped her hands excitedly at the thought of meeting the more experienced idol.

Futaba popped her head out from behind Airi, hugging onto the older girl's arm. "Are we doing our ultimate showdown tonight?"

Haru gasped her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps we should wait until tomorrow morning?" She suggested, lacing her hands in front of her white button up. "We're all tired from the drive."

Idly brushing hair out of his eyes, Yusuke turned to look at her. "Are you suggesting things will turn hostile?"

They quieted at the thought. Would they have to fight the older group? They didn't really know each other, after all. They had no knowledge of whether or not these other Persona users still had access to the Metaverse. Whether or not they were stronger or weaker. They wouldn't want to wreck the town with their battle, physically or metaphysically. They also didn't want to harm them if they were innocent, which was very possible.

"Let's..." Airi sighed, hugging Futaba into her side. "Let's save it for later. I really just want to drown myself in the hot springs right now..."

"Oh!" Morgana gasped, eyes shining at the thought. "P-Perhaps I should stand guard for you girls..." His eyes darted to Ann before a blush overtook his muzzle. "Just in case they attack us!"

Akira deadpanned. "No." He walked into the men's room, ignoring the feline's protests. The other guys followed after him, and the girls went into the women's room.

Hopefully the hot mineral waters could soothe their thoughts for now...

* * *

His phone rang, piercing the silence of his small house. Stubbing his cigarette, Yu picked it up. "Narukami here."

" _Yu._ " Yukiko spoke. " _Are you aware there's a group dinner today? Naoto and Rise are back in town. I contacted the others to let them know to meet._ "

He blinked. "Oh, right. Are we going to Aiya's?" He stood up from the porch, grabbing his jacket from the rack as he readied himself. He had been so spaced out lately that he completely forgot.

" _No_." She replied quietly. " _We're having dinner at the inn. There are some new guests here that seem...strange_."

His eyes narrowed. "Strange? How?" Holding the phone between his ear and shoulder, he shrugged on his jacket and walked toward the entrance. "Should I come to investigate?"

" _...I felt Sumeo-Okami again. Only when I locked eyes with one of the girls, though._ "

He stilled. What? Sumeo-Okami? Her Persona? "Are you sure?" He asked fervently, gripping the phone in his hand. "Who was this girl?"

" _I don't know her name, but- Oh, Chie came back. Hold on a moment. Chie! Did you meet them?_ "

" _Yeah...oh my god, you were right, Yukiko. You were so right._ " He heard through the speaker, though quieter since the she was farther away.

"What happened?" He pressed.

There was a bit of crackling and Chie's voice came through. " _Hey, Yu. Yukiko handed me the phone. I met the group and got their names, well, their first names anyway. They're on a road trip and said they were supposed to leave in the morning, but I offered to show them around town so they're staying longer now._ "

She paused, breathing heavily. " _I...I felt her. Haraedo-no-Okami. I don't know how or why, but when I accidentally touched one of them, I felt like he zapped me._ "

He furrowed his brow. Zapped her? Like a Zio? "So...you felt your Persona when you looked at one of them, and Yukiko felt her Persona when she looked at another one?"

" _Y-Yeah..._ " She breathed shakily. " _Yu, you told us we don't have Personas anymore. What gives?!_ "

"...I never said that." He answered after a moment, frowning guiltily. He remembered that he never fully explained to the group back then. "I only said that they weren't needed anymore."

" _...Wait, what?_ " She snapped. " _So we still have our powers?!_ "

" _What?_ " He heard Yukiko gasp in the background.

Sighing heavily, he rubbed his temple as he felt a headache come on. This wasn't how he wanted to let them know. "I told you guys that I had a contract with a man named Igor, in a place called the Velvet Room. He allowed us, or well..." He paused. "Margaret allowed us to delve into our Personas. It's how I had so many abilities, remember?"

" _Right..._ " Chie replied slowly. " _And?_ "

"So, once we defeated Izanami-no-Okami, our contract was finished." He swallowed, repressing the urge to cry in frustration even as his eyes began to moisten. "...I can't enter that room anymore. Mari closed the TVs, and she hadn't found the room either, so...what was the point of having Personas anymore? That's why I told you guys we don't need them now."

They weren't needed anymore. Their job was finished. They saved the town like they were supposed to. They risked their lives only to be forgotten by all except for those involved. He should've been satisfied with it, happy even that he and his friends could live in peace, but he couldn't.

He could only feel emptiness as they switched from fighting for their lives almost every day to just doing paperwork at the station. It was fine in the beginning when they were riding their high out after their victory, but as the years came and went without any action, he found himself falling into a daily schedule that slowly choked him.

He felt lost. Discarded by his parents, by Igor, by himself as Izanagi-no-Okami fell into a deep slumber in his heart from neglect...He met their expectations, right? So why was this emptiness his reward?

He heard a sigh, the speaker crackling at the sound. " _Yu...You shouldn't have lied to us._ "

"I know..." He whispered, sitting down on the ledge in front of the door. "I just...didn't want you guys to get your hopes up."

She sighed again. " _Well...now we know that we still have our Personas, what do we do about these kids?_ "

"Not sure..." He answered, putting on his shoes. "But let's try to meet them, us and them. I have a theory, but I'll be able to confirm it once I see them face to face. If you and Yukiko felt something when looking at those specific kids, then I probably have a counterpart too."

" _Oh, right..._ " She oohed in understanding. " _Hey Yukiko, you think it's gonna be Airi?_ "

" _Mmm, no..._ " He heard the inn owner reply. " _I can see that blue haired guy as his counterpart. Kimisawa-san would probably go with Naoto.._."

"Well," He interrupted, grabbing his keys and opening the front door to his house. "I'll be there in a couple minutes. Tell the others what I told you, and if they protest, you can let them know I'll explain everything."

" _Gotcha._ " Chie replied. " _Mari-chan's coming too, right? She's the deity around here, after all. Maybe she can sense something with her powers._ "

"Yeah, I'm going to go pick her up from the TV station now."

Hanging up, he closed the door behind him and opened the driver's seat of his car. Starting the engine, he slowly backed out of his driveway and headed down the streets. He no longer lived in the Dojima residence, having moved out a couple years ago to live with Mariko. Nanako cried a bit, but she knew he was only a few minutes away. He would never leave this tiny town that became his home.

The Inaba TV station wasn't anything special, but it was where most of the entertainment in this town was broadcast over the TVs. It was why Mariko was working here since her powers correlated with TVs and weather. Checking his watch as he pulled into the parking lot, he saw she would've gotten off her shift a few minutes ago.

The doors to the building slid open and a woman walked out in a black suit. She had grown from her old punk outfit, replacing the white vest and plaid skirt with a black business suit. No longer wearing black and white striped stockings, it was plain black, enveloping her slim legs. She didn't have the Velvet Room cap anymore, showing off her still short black hair.

With a fond smile, Yu got out of his car to give his girlfriend a kiss. She was one of the only reasons why he could still smile and try to keep going. Her and their friends anchored him here, making this town home for him. Some days, he still couldn't believe he was dating a literal goddess. "How was work?"

Reciprocating the intimate motion, she leaned her head against his chest, breathing in the now familiar aroma of cigarettes. "It was fine. I'm making tomorrow sunny, but the day after that will be raining."

He nodded and gestured to the car. "C'mon, there's a group dinner today at the inn."

Getting into the passenger's side, she raised a brow. "At the inn? Don't we usually eat at Aiya's?"

Closing his door, he put on his seat belt again. "Not this time. Yukiko called me to let me know there's a group of teenagers staying at the inn."

"So..?" She gave him an odd look as he backed out of the parking lot and onto the street. "Are we babysitting or something?"

He stared straight ahead at the road, his hands gripping the steering wheel. "...She and Chie both said they felt their Personas again when they made contact."

Her eyebrows rose up. "...They're sure about that?" She looked down at her lap speculatively. "I did sense something earlier, but I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me."

He glanced over at her. "What did you sense?"

"...Personas." She answered quietly. "Very powerful ones."

He nodded. "So I was right. They _are_ Persona users." He slowly turned the car at the corner. "I wonder though..."

She blinked and looked over at him. "Wonder what?"

He hummed as the inn slowly came into view. Parking the car away from the two in the parking lot, he turned off the engine.

"I wonder...if they're The Phantom Thieves."

* * *

 _Keisatsu - police officer_


	4. Chapter 4

"Aaah..." Akira sighed, relaxing into the hot volcanic waters. "This is nice..."

"Agreed." Yusuke replied, dumping a bucket of water over his head within the shower room before walking over to the open pool, the steam rising into the cool night sky. "A hot spring with such rich history would surely invigorate my painter's aptitude."

Ryuji snorted, leaning his back against the stones, polished from decades of use. "Always with the art, this guy..."

"Leave him alone." Morgana scolded, floating on a wooden bucket over the waters. "We all deserved to have a nice vacation like this. Though I wish I was human so I could actually swim in here..."

The ex-runner sighed, ruffling his short blond hair. "And we told you earlier, we can't let 'em find cat hair in the water."

Gray eyes slid over to the only silent person in the lake, lounging farther from the others. "What's wrong, Goro?"

His eyes snapped over to his leader. "I told you not to call me that." Akechi grumbled quietly, crossing his arms over his bare chest. "...Should we really be relaxing at a time like this when there are potential enemies gathering only a few meters away?"

"Aw, c'mon!" Ryuji grinned, stretching his arms up into the cool air. "You gotta learn 'ta relax!" Taking a deep breath, he dove under the waters and swam up to the detective, resurfacing with a gasp. Reaching out with an arm, he hung it around his shoulders, bringing him into a half embrace. "How about this. Since you've been doin' jack shit up until you joined us, let's get you to do somethin' you enjoy."

Akechi grunted, trying to shrug off his arm but to no avail. "And what might that be?"

Ryuji giggled as a perverted blush spread across his cheeks. "Well..." He drawled, eyeing the wooden partition that separated the hotsprings into two gendered sections. "...We could see what the girls are up to."

Making a disgusted noise, Akechi pushed him away and he fell back under the waters. "No thanks. Peeping is against the law and I am still willing to uphold justice."

Popping his head above the surface, Ryuji spewed out the water he accidentally swallowed. "H-Hey..." He coughed. "Not cool!"

Taking a small towel, Yusuke delicately wiped his shoulders and chest with the moist cloth. "There is no point in worrying." He stated calmly, relaxing in the waters. "We are The Phantom Thieves."

Akira snorted, giving him an amused smirk. "Former Phantom Thieves, remember? We aren't supposed to be doing any more thieving."

The artist gave him a mysterious smile. "Who would find out?"

Rolling his eyes, Akechi waded over to them near the divider. "We're done with that. You had promised to officially disband the group."

"Officially." Akira grinned slyly, slicking his bangs back with a wet hand.

 _"Hey Makoto, when'd you learn to drive?"_

The guys perked up, glancing over at the partition that separated them from the girls. Though there wasn't a clear view, the recently erected wall was made up of several wooden poles, tied together with thick rope. It didn't stop them from overhearing the conversation from the other side, and Ryuji swam closer to listen in.

 _"Oh...Sis made me learn just in case. I got my license a few months ago."_

Airi hummed. _"...I'm wondering if I should do that too."_

 _"You're turning eighteen soon, right Airi? You should."_ Makoto replied. _"You were the one who drove Morgana first, right?"_

 _"Yeah, but I had Akira take over. With how I was feeling inside Mementos, it wasn't safe for me to be driving..."_

 _"It was really scary to see you inside Mementos...I-I didn't know what to do, or if Prometheus could help..."_

 _"Don't worry, Futaba. It's all over now."_ Airi comforted, water splashed as she wrapped her arms around the younger girl. _"Hopefully I'd never have to get that bad again."_

 _"Don't jinx it!"_ Ann scolded. _"Hey wait...Did you grow again?"_

The males blushed as the conversation switched from solemn to whatever this was. Nodding to himself, Ryuji swam as close as he could to the partition, eyeing the minuscule cracks.

Akechi crossed his arms at his actions. "What do you think you're doing?" He glared disapprovingly.

Turning to the detective, he held up a finger in front of his mouth as he grinned, shushing him.

 _"Huh? I guess."_ Airi replied hesitantly. _"They're not that impressive. Haru's are bigger."_

 _"Aw, Airi-chan! I think we all have very nice pairs!"_ Haru chirped.

 _"Hehe..."_ Futaba snickered. _"You guys sure do. Mako's got some catchin' up to do."_

 _"Futaba!"_ Makoto scolded uncomfortably, water splashing around. _"Th-That's very inappropriate to talk about..."_

 _"Pshaw, we're all girls here!"_

 _"Yes, but...Did you forget the guys are only a few meters away? They could be listening in..."_

 _"Oh, that's true."_ Haru agreed. _"But I would hope we could have more faith in them."_

Ann snorted. _"They're all perverts, Haru. There's no denying that fact."_

 _"Even Yusuke-kun?"_

 _"Especially Yusuke."_

Inhaling sharply, said artist held a hand near his chest, offended at the accusation. "I am _not_ -" He was muffled as Ryuji reached out with a hand and covered his mouth, the ex-runner still staring avidly at the partition.

 _"Nah. Inari's more...paintsexual than anything."_

 _"..."Paintsexual"?"_ Airi asked hesitantly.

 _"Yeah, he gets a boner whenever he inhales the paint fumes."_

 _"Ugh!"_ Ann splashed water at her. _"Don't say that!"_

The guys all gave each other weird looks. Was this what girls chatted about when they bathed together? Or was it only their female friends that were this weird? Wading even closer, Ryuji leaned against the wall, squinting through the cracks.

"Ryuji..!" Morgana hissed quietly, paddling his paws to propel his bucket closer. "Stop being such a pervert! I won't let you do this to them!"

 _"Hey, what do you think Mona would look like if he had a human form?"_ Futaba asked.

The feline paused, his bucket washing up against the wood of the wall. Ears sticking straight up, he listened in on the conversation, joining the person he was originally scolding.

 _"Hmm...Black hair?"_ Makoto speculated. _"He has blue eyes, too...Maybe a foreigner?"_

 _"You think maybe he'd be younger than us?"_ Airi asked. _"Like, say twelve years old?"_

 _"Oh, Mona-chan would be so cute!"_ Haru clapped her hands together. _"Just imagining him in a middle school uniform makes me want to hug him!"_

 _"Yeah, that would be pretty cute!"_ Ann laughed. _"If only, huh..."_

""If only"?..." Morgana whispered to himself, a blush on his muzzle. "Do I have a chance..?"

Akira sweatdropped, reaching out to pet the feline. "We'll see." He consoled. He didn't know if they could contact Igor again, especially so soon after their contract was "completed." But if there was any chance of Morgana changing into a human, it was through the long nosed man and Lavenza.

"I can't see..." Ryuji grumbled quietly, moving his head around to try to find an opening through the slivers of space. Akechi rolled his eyes, turning his back to them and sinking deeper into the spring, not wanting anything to do with this.

 _"Sooo..."_ Ann began. _"Airi."_

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"You've been dating Akira for a couple of months now, right?"_

Said male perked up, hearing his name in the conversation. Swerving his head toward the wall, he listened intently.

 _"Uh-huh..."_

 _"Have you guys...done it yet?"_

 _"Huh?!"_

Four pairs of eyes drilled into the back of his head, and Akira sweated. Glancing to his left, he met Akechi's hard gaze. "Did you?" The detective mouthed venomously, brown eyes promising a second murder attempt. His eyes darted away, not wanting to answer.

 _"I'm not answering you."_

 _"Then, how good of a kisser is he? He's taken you out on dates, right?"_

 _"Oh yeah!"_ Futaba piped up. _"I remember tracking your phones all the way to the amusement park before!"_

 _"Futaba!"_ Airi reprimanded. _"What did I say about tracking us?"_

 _"Only in emergencies, but I got curious! I hacked your phone too and listened in on your conversations. He won you a bear, right?"_

 _"Oh my days..."_ She groaned before sighing in resignation. _"OK, yes. He is a very sweet guy and...I'm glad we're together. Sometimes, it's hard to believe we're actually going out."_

 _"Why would you say that, Airi-chan?" Haru asked concernedly. "Of course he would love you. You've been together since the beginning, even as classmates."_

 _"I mean...I'm not rich like you, Haru, or drop dead gorgeous like Ann, or ridiculously intelligent like Makoto..."_

 _"And me?"_

 _"...Are you saying you want to date your brother, Futaba?"_

 _"NO! EW!"_

Akira sweatdropped as the conversation began to derail to places he didn't ever want to think about, but...He smiled to himself, feeling his heart flutter as he heard his girlfriend talk about him. She had been there for him from the very beginning, of course he would fall in love.

 _"Anyway, it was just surprising. I'm glad though...I wouldn't trade this for anything."_ She murmured shyly. _"He's the best thing to happen to me..."_

 _"Aww, that's so sweet!"_ Haru remarked cheerfully.

 _"So how big is he?"_

 _"FUTABA!"_

Akira blushed, nervously swallowing as he felt the gaze of his other fellow males on his back. "You guys did it?!" Ryuji hissed incredulously.

He shrugged, not answering. He would neither confirm nor deny any such occurrence, as was his right as a lawful citizen, etc etc...

 _"All right. I think that's enough of this..."_ Makoto stated uncomfortably, water splashing as she moved to the edge, lifting herself out of the pool. _"We should probably go and have dinner..."_

 _"You've got a nice butt, Mako."_

 _"Futaba!"_

 _"No, she's right."_ Airi agreed. _"It must be from all that kicking she does in the Metaverse."_

 _"Airi!"_

Ann snorted. _"No need to be so embarrassed, Makoto. You should be proud of your butt!"_

 _"Like how you're proud of devouring three cakes in under five minutes?"_ She retorted. _"How do you keep your figure so well, anyway?"_

 _"Doesn't your catsuit squeeze all your fat?"_ Futaba asked. _"How do you not have a tan line from your boob window?"_

 _"I do!"_ Ann argued. _"It's faint, but it's so annoying! The magazine keeps having to edit it out."_

 _"Let me see?"_ Haru asked, water splashing as she moved closer. _"I think I have a whitening cream you can use for it...Oh, wow. You're very perky, Ann-chan!"_

 _"I'm a little jealous."_ Airi confessed. _"They're so perfectly round...Is it from your European genes?"_

 _"Maybe, I don't know."_ Ann replied vaguely. _"But your's are round and perfect too! And they're bigger than average...Should we compare?"_

"Compare..?" Ryuji whispered, excitement coursing through his veins. "I gotta see!" He tried to squint through the tiny cracks but to no avail. The poles were tied too tightly to each other. Exhaling sharply, he reached up to one of the ropes, hoisting himself up the wall.

"What are you doing..?" Yusuke asked slowly, furrowing his brow. "It is prohibited for males to enter the female's side."

"I don't care!" Ryuji gritted his teeth, reaching up with his other arm to go higher. "They sound like they're about to get it on..!"

Akechi rolled his eyes and waded over to the edge, climbing out of the hot springs. "I'm leaving before the entire wall comes crashing down." Adjusting his towel, he walked into the shower room and out of sight. "If you get arrested, I don't know you and I won't be showing up for your bail."

"Ryuji!" Morgana hissed, jumping out of his bucket and onto the rocks next to the barrier. "Get down from there!"

"Hell no!" He retorted. "When's the next time we're gonna have a chance like this?"

Growling, the feline jumped up in one quick leap, sinking his claws into the ex-runner's waist towel as a foothold.

"Hey!" Ryuji yelped, wiggling his hips, trying to dislodge him. "Get off!"

"I will not let you besmirch Lady Ann's honor like this!" Morgana yelled. "Nor Haru's, or Airi's, or Makoto or Futaba's!" Unhooking a paw, he unleashed his claws on the ex-runner, swatting at his butt.

"OW!" He yelled, the sound reverberating through the entire back of the inn. The water stilled, the sounds of splashing from the other side stopping.

 _"What was that..? Was that Ryuji?"_

 _"It sounded really close...like, REALLY close."_

 _"Ugh! Is he trying to perv on us again?! I'm getting out before he gets any further..."_

The loud splashing of water followed by the sound of wet footsteps echoed from the women's side, the glass door sliding close with a crack as the girls moved inside the building.

"Wait, no!" He bit his lip as he tried to climb higher, but the weight of a cat on his towel proved too much and the fabric unfurled to the ground, Morgana landing on his paws effortlessly.

"Ugh..." Akira covered his eyes as he climbed out of the waters. "Didn't need to see everything today, thanks."

"How distasteful." Yusuke shook his head as he headed toward the shower room.

"Uh...guys?" Ryuji called out from the top of the partition, now alone and naked in the hot springs. "Can someone help me down?...Guys?!"

* * *

Turning off the engine, Yu and Mari got out of the car and walked into the inn. Yukiko and Chie were waiting at the front desk, stalling their conversation once they saw the two come in. "Hey, Yu! Mari-chan!" Chie greeted awkwardly, trying to smile at the couple.

Yu nodded apprehensively. He didn't know if she was still mad from earlier. "Hey..."

"Hey guys!" Mari smiled at the two, unbuttoning her blazer as the temperatures inside the inn warmed them from the outdoor chill. "Is everyone already here?"

Yukiko nodded, gesturing down the hall. "I've already prepared one of the dining halls for us. The others are waiting for us now."

They walked down the hall, their dull footsteps echoing throughout the lobby as they made their way to one of the rooms. Sliding the door open, the host gestured for them to enter. Taking off their shoes, Yu and Mari walked into the room, greeting their other friends that were already sat at the large dining table, food laid out across the counter by the staff.

"Senpai!" Rise beamed, waving enthusiastically. Her beauty and personality had remained mostly the same, though her body sported more womanly curves now that she was a full fledged adult in the multimedia world. "I'm so glad you were able to make it!"

Yu sweatdropped. "Hi, Rise. You don't have to keep calling me Senpai..."

She waved him away, scooting closer as he sat down on one of the cushions. "Nonsense! You'll always be Yu-senpai to me!"

"Yo!" Kanji waved, holding up a cup of shochu. He had long accepted that he didn't need to act tough to be accepted, keeping his hair black and wearing corrective glasses now. "Glad you made it."

Mari waved as she took a seat next to her longtime boyfriend. "Hi Kanji. How's the store?"

He grinned, rubbing his nose. "Great! I sold a couple more dolls today. One of the kids who've been attendin' every single workshop gave me her first ever hand made doll as a gift and I..." He smiled awkwardly, glancing away in embarrassment as a blush crept up his cheeks. "I kinda cried..."

"That sounds wonderful." Naoto stated quietly, a small smile on her face. She had kept her hair short to seem more professional while on the scenes, but had replaced her old coat for a shorter blue blazer that hugged her every curve, keeping her blue colored detective theme. "You'll have to catch me up. I'm afraid I spent too much time focusing on my case in Tokyo to remember much of anything else..."

"Speaking of which," Yosuke interrupted. "Tell us about that case, Naoto!" He had also kept his hair in the same style as he had back when they were teenagers, opting to replace his headphones every so often with a new pair. He replaced his old white fur trimmed jacket for a fur collar white trench coat, an orange shirt underneath as always. "The Phantom Thieves sounded way cool!"

"Yes!" Teddie chimed in. "Tell us, tell us!" The Shadow turned human had also remained mostly unchanged, wearing a white blouse shirt and black slacks at all times. Though no one could explain how, he had subtly aged a bit, the baby fat in his cheeks curving into smooth planes of adulthood. His eyes which were big blue sapphires were slightly narrower now, helping him with his "romantic" side. Letting his hair grow out, the shining blond strands flowed to his shoulders, loosely held together with a leather string. No matter how mature he looked now, he still kept his air headed and peppy personality.

Sliding the door closed, Yukiko took a seat, Chie following her example. "Perhaps we should begin with that before we explain why we had everyone gather here." The inn owner suggested, delicately picking up her cup of tea, taking a sip of the just boiled liquid.

Naoto nodded, relaxing on her cushion. "All right then. I probably shouldn't be letting such confidential information slip to civilians, but...We're not simple civilians, are we?" She smiled faintly. "To begin with, I was given a call around October once I had finished up another case up north in Hokkaido. The Tokyo police HQ had explained to me that they had captured the leader of The Phantom Thieves due to their involvement in Okumura Kunikazu's death, but his body disappeared after his apparent suicide." She explained quietly, lifting a cup of warm sake up to her lips.

"Shortly after that, active student detective Akechi Goro had disappeared, creating a void in the investigation team. I was asked to fill the spot, but once I had arrived during the beginning of December due to conflicting schedules, the vigilante group had already stolen would-be Prime Minister Shido Masayoshi's "heart," prompting his public confession which I'm sure you all had witnessed on TV."

"Yeah..." Chie crossed her arms. "That was a really messed up time. I never thought that someone who was supposed to be democratically elected could be so evil..."

"Indeed." Naoto inclined her head. "Then of course, we get to December 24th. I'm sure you all know what happened then." She glanced over at Yu who kept his head down. "Somehow, what seemed to be the TV world and the real world merged in Tokyo, creating some sort of hellish landscape that normal citizens couldn't detect. I was one of the rare ones to stare in shock at the bones and blood water raining down from the sky..." She shuddered at the memory, downing her shot. The alcohol burned her throat on the way down, and the warmth it provided kept her calm. "It was...horrifying to witness."

"How did that happen, Teddie?" Rise asked fearfully, hugging herself. "It was so scary...I was doing a shoot out in Inokashira Park and by the time I realized what happened, everything was over..."

Teddie sighed, slumping his shoulders. "I'm not really sure..." He shrugged helplessly. "I felt something when that happened though...As if the lines between Shadows and humans began to blur again. It was so confusing..." He held his head at the memory, trying to shake off the still lingering sensation even after months. "It was like being squished together and pulled apart at the same time..."

Glancing over at his girlfriend, Yu placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mari? Any ideas?"

Letting her arms fall from her thinking pose, she bit her lip. "I might, but...To be honest, Inaba is my domain. I'm not powerful enough in the real world to have affected an entire city like that."

"Then what can you tell us?" Kanji downed another cup of shochu before refilling it. "It was that god, right? That giant...whatevermathing?"

She chuckled. "Yes. He called himself "Yaldabaoth"...I didn't think he would gain so much power to manifest in the real world like that."

Yosuke tilted his head, picking up a piece of sashimi with his chopsticks. "So...Who is he?"

Shifting in her seat, Mari began. "As you know, Izanami and Izanagi are gods that have existed in Japanese mythology for centuries, millennia. Gods like us exist due to human cognition. Enough people believed and we were born in the other world, birthing others and co-existing with other gods. Shadows are people's inner selves made into existence, so it could be argued that every Shadow is a "god" in a sense."

"So Teddie is also a god?" The bear-turned-human gasped in delight. "Then I will use my godly powers to draw all the women to me! Rise-chan! Chie-chan! Yukiko-chan! Naoto-chan!" He held his arms out, expecting any of his female friends to fall into his embrace.

Sticking a leg out, Chie kicked him over. "Not a chance, buddy." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Mari-chan. You're saying we've been...killing gods while in the TV world?"

"You don't kill Shadows like that." She shook her head. "As long as the person it comes from is alive, the Shadow will reform sooner or later. The only time a Shadow really disappears is when the person it's attached to dies in the real world or was killed in their own mindscapes. That would be the mental breakdowns from last year."

Yu crossed his arms. "So while they could be considered a god, they don't exist in multiple people's minds so they aren't powerful in the real world like you?"

Mari nodded. "Something like that. I can't really put it into words. One minute, I just...was." She shrugged. "I exist because people believe in my existence. And of course," She smiled shyly up at her lover, placing her hand on top of his. "Because all of you anchor me here. In any case, Yaldabaoth is something like a false god. He isn't real in the sense that people believed in him specifically, but more so that people didn't believe in anything."

"So..." Naoto grasped her chin thoughtfully, the explanation running through her head. "You're saying because of people's complacency, he gained power? Interesting..."

"People's complacency?" Yukiko blinked. "What do you mean? I don't think people actually wanted a god to take over..."

"Well..." Chewing on some fish, Naoto continued. "If you were in Tokyo at the time, you would understand. Rise, you said you were in the city then. Did you notice how people seemed to...not care?" She worded her question carefully. "As if nothing mattered. Shido Masayoshi outed himself on national television, but his approval rating stayed consistent as if the public ignored it."

Humming, Rise placed a manicured finger on her chin as she thought back. "Now that you say that, I _did_ notice everyone start acting like it never happened, as if...their minds were wiped of all free thought..." Sighing, she picked up a fruity non-alcoholic drink, taking off her designer sunglasses. "This is too much. Are you saying people wanted to be enslaved..?"

"Exactly." Mari nodded, smirking as the idol glared lightly at her. Seemed like that'll never change. "He was the personification of discord. That he was able to manifest in the real world, merging the Shadow world with Tokyo, meant that more than enough people desired it."

They quieted at the thought. Did people really want to be enslaved again? Did they want it so much that their hearts bore another god to do it for them?

"...But The Phantom Thieves kicked his ass, right?" Kanji asked hesitantly, his fingers gripping his cup. "We're all fine now, yeah?"

"Too fine." Yosuke groaned, laying down on the floor. "No one remembers but us."

Yu nodded in agreement. "My other links remembered too but they're starting to forget."

"Hey..." Chie began hesitantly, furrowing her brow at a thought. "Didn't we forget too? Like, for a couple minutes, even though I was on that Phantom Aficionado website, I didn't remember The Phantom Thieves..."

"Oh yeah..." Yukiko gasped in realization. "I hadn't noticed at the time, but now that you say it, I couldn't remember anything about them until the TV showed them fighting against the god."

"Were we wiped?" Naoto furrowed her brow as she cross her arms in speculation. "We aren't immune, even with our Personas?"

"Speaking of Personas..." Chie glared at Yu who guiltily looked down. "According to Yu, we still have them. We could've helped them, just like old times!"

He kept his head down. "It would've been too late...Naoto was in the city, and she didn't even get there in time." He shrugged passively. "It was fine. The Phantom Thieves defeated him, right?"

"Senpai..." Kanji furrowed his brow. "Why'd you lie to us? I thought...I thought Takeji-Zaiten was gone."

Sighing, Yu picked up the entire bottle of shochu before drinking straight from the rim, swallowing half of the bottle before slamming it against the table. He needed the alcohol for this. "I didn't lie. I only said they weren't needed anymore." He glared down at the table, not wanting to meet the gaze of his friends. He didn't want to see betrayal in their eyes. "I finished my contract with Igor and he disappeared. Once Marie became Mariko, there wasn't any more need for us to go into the TV world, so we were done. We said so ourselves, right?"

"But Sensei..." Teddie spoke quietly. "We could still fight, right? I know Kamui-Moshiri is still here..." He raised a hand to gently touched his chest. "In my heart."

"Yeah, but what was the point?" Yu retorted, taking another swig of his shochu. "There wasn't anyone to fight, there wasn't anyone to save. The fog was gone and we aren't needed. The Phantom Thieves are clearly our successors in the sense that they were chosen to deal with the new god, not us." He could admit he was bitter. As a teen, he never understood how his uncle could work long nights, smoke til his lungs turned black, and drank until he passed out. But now? Now he could _feel_ that sense of oldness. Trying to find ways to distract himself from realizing that their adventure was done. Their time was over.

"Yu..." Mari whispered, shifting her legs until she was right next to him, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sorry. If I knew this was how you felt, I would've opened the portal again. I would've tried harder to find Nose..."

Letting out a sigh, he wrapped an arm around her as well, letting his hand rest on her hip. "No...I'm sorry. I should've been happy to stay here, becoming a detective like uncle, but..." He let out a bitter chuckle. "We went from our own heroes to just ordinary citizens. It's a little hard to move on, I guess, even though we said we would..."

"Senpai..." Rise murmured, holding a hand near her chest as she heard his reasons. "I understand. I also felt a little lonely once we defeated Izanami-no-Okami. It was like..." She sniffed, eyes clouding with tears. "It was like everything was over, and, and we didn't have any reason to be friends anymore..."

Frowning softly, Yukiko reached out to hug the superstar. "Of course we would stay friends, Rise-chan...We went through so much together."

"Yeah, but..." She sniffed, leaning into the older woman's embrace. "We didn't have any reason to stay together besides that. Senpai left for a while, I tour all over Japan, Naoto's solving cases out of town...Maybe I'm being salty but sometimes, I feel like the only reason why we're all still together is because we think, any day now, we'd be able to jump back into the action again."

Staring at the ornately carved ceiling, Yosuke exhaled despondently. "...I felt the same way. Like, once we beat the big boss, it was the end of our journey together." He huffed. "We promised to keep on moving on, to keep changing, but look at us now..."

Eyes darting from him to crying Rise to moody Yu, Kanji slammed his glass against the table. "C'mon, guys! So what if there's no action for us? We should be glad for that!" He argued weakly, tears also welling up in his eyes. "No one else is gettin' hurt while we're here, and we still have our Personas, right? If anyone gets hurt, or somethin' happens, we'll be there to help them!"

Biting her lip, Chie nodded determinedly. "You're right, Kanji. So what if there's no god for us to beat? Our job, our promise, is to help people. Whether or not it's with our Personas, we're still going to do it, right guys?" She swerved her head to her leader, a wide grin taking up her face. "Right, Yu?"

Gazing at her for a moment, Yu nodded, smiling faintly. Seemed he was forgiven. "Of course. Not just because we're police and we swore to protect the town, but also because that's how we roll. We're a team."

"Agreed." Naoto smiled, pride shining in her eyes at her friends. "We'll continue like always."

"Our hearts beat as one!" Teddie cheered, raising a glass of shochu that Yosuke immediately took out of his hand.

"Now that we've established that," Kanji grinned, wiping his eyes of any tears. "Yukiko, what didja want to tell us?"

The inn owner perked up, sitting back in her seat. "Well. It's about Personas actually." She began. "You all know we've been inactive for almost a decade now. We haven't felt our inner selves in quite a long while. Today, though..." She paused, her hands gripping each other on her lap. "We received some new guests. A group of nine teenagers on a roadtrip. When I made eye contact with one of them, a brunette with red eyes, I felt Sumeo-Okami again, just for a split second."

They looked at her in surprise. "Whoa, really?" Yosuke quickly sat up from the mats, staring at her with wide eyes as he held Teddie's drink hostage. "You serious?"

She nodded. "And I'm not the only one. Chie?"

"Right." Chie scrunched up her face, scooting up to the table to grab a cup. "When I heard Yukiko's experience, I had to see for myself, so I sort of ambushed the group in the hallway while they were heading to the springs. They looked pretty interesting, to be honest. I've never seen so many attractive kids together in this town. Other than us, of course." She winked. "I got their first names and I also offered to show them around town tomorrow."

"Were there any cute girls?" Teddie asked hopefully, sliding a plate of rice down his mouth. "I hope they're cute!"

Rolling her eyes, the police officer continued. "When I made eye contact with the tall blond guy, I felt Haraedo-no-Okami again. Then I tried to walk past them and I accidentally brushed arms with him and..." She shuddered. "It felt like I was being shocked, like when Kanji would accidentally hit me!"

"Hey!" Kanji argued. "It was one time!...A-And another time..."

Reaching out with a hand, Naoto patted his back comfortingly. "So it felt like a Zio attack?" She asked. "And this only happened with one person specifically for you, right? Yukiko too?"

Yukiko nodded. "Yes. I didn't get the feeling when I was helping the chaperone, Kimisawa-san. Only with the other girl."

"We called Yu and he said they might be our counterparts." Chie explained, fidgeting with one leg. She turned to look at him. "What was it again?"

Swallowing a cup of sake, Yu nodded. "I said that each person in that group probably coincided with our's. I have a theory, actually..." He placed his cup down on the table. "I think they might be The Phantom Thieves."

"Huh?!" Everyone gasped, staring at him in shock. "Those kids?!" Chie yelped. "No way!"

Naoto crossed her arms. "We were young too when we fought a god. It's not impossible for it to be another group of teenagers. What were their names?"

"Uhh..." Chie furrowed her brow, trying to match each name with a description. "Airi for the pink haired girl, Akira for the black haired guy, Ann for the blonde haired girl, Ryuji for the blond haired guy, Makoto for the brunette, Yusuke for the blue haired one, Futaba with long orange hair, Haru with light brown hair, and Akechi with light brown hair too."

"Akechi? Akechi Goro?" Naoto pressed fervently, furrowing her brow. "He's here?"

"Oh!" Yukiko gasped. "You think that guy was Akechi Goro? The new detective prince that you were supposed to replace in Tokyo, right?"

Naoto nodded, frowning deeply. "Yes. He had disappeared just before Shido's confession...I had no idea that he was back, though. Where did he disappear to?"

Wiping the remnants of her tears, Rise sat up in her seat. "You think maybe...He was stuck in the TV?" She whispered hesitantly. "It's like when we were kidnapped, right? We disappeared without a trace because of Namatame-san, and Yu-senpai had to save us."

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions, though." Mari advised, taking a bite of steamed fish. "I know that they're powerful Persona users, I can sense them a few meters away, but are they really The Phantom Thieves?"

The former detective prince stilled. "...He was the one heading the investigation against The Phantom Thieves. I heard from one of his former co-workers that he was very...concerned with needing to arrest the group. Is it possible that he discovered a portal into the TV world, and then joined The Phantom Thieves himself once they saved him? That's the only conclusion I can think of for why he would be with this group..."

"But The Phantom Thieves steal hearts, right?" Teddie asked naively, scratching the top of his head. "Is that really saving people?"

"Of course." Yu replied instantly, frowning faintly. "You guys remember that girl from high school? The one who was all about art? She skipped town to Tokyo. She became one of Madarame's pupils." He stated grimly. "It was because of him that she was killed, and it's only thanks to The Phantom Thieves that he's in jail now. Otherwise, I don't think anyone would've caught him."

Rise covered her mouth in horror. "That poor girl..! I think I remember. She was in our class, right Kanji?"

Kanji nodded. "Yeah, I remember. She left town as soon as we graduated..." He sighed heavily, downing another cup of shochu. "Guess we should thank those kids..."

"Tomorrow, then?" Mari proposed, lightly grasping her cup, her finger tracing the trim. "I'm getting more and more interested in these kids...Does one of them represent Hope?"

"Tomorrow." Yu confirmed. They were going to confront The Phantom Thieves.


	5. The End

What a nice start to the year.

It is unfortunate to say this, but I have decided to **discontinue** posting on FFNET. This does not only pertain to this fic, but to **ALL** of my fics here. I only started posting here because someone was plagiarizing my fic from AO3.

I have tried to continue but honestly, I'm discouraged at every point.

Firstly, FFN's formatting. The system feels extremely outdated and clunky to use. I have to agree to the terms and conditions almost every time I want to start a new story. I have to input the story, save it, go back to the document, and then edit it because some of the formatting doesn't carry over. To post, I have to go to the story, add the chapter, and if I want to make any changes, I have to go to the chapters document, edit, save, and then re-upload it in place of the old chapter. It is tedious and annoying to use.

Second, the reviewing system. While most reviewers have been very kind and supportive, FFNET's system means I am unable to delete asinine reviews. Unlike AO3, I receive plenty of self-entitled "reviewers" here, demanding this and that. Reviewing is meant for readers to show they have analyzed the story, pointing out things they like or dislike, what was memorable, etc. It shouldn't be for demanding more updates or taunting other reviewers.

The amount of selfish readers I have encountered here outweigh the few genuinely supportive readers. At least on AO3 I can delete the spam and hold a real discussion with readers.

I want to keep posting here so more people can find some joy in my writing, but why stress myself out doing something I don't want to do? It's not like I'm being forced to, nor am I being paid. It's out of my own free will and time. I shouldn't have to force myself to keep posting here for stats, or for a wider audience. Quality is way more important than quantity in this case.

You want me to change my story to how you want it? You want faster updates? You want more, more, more? Pay me. Make it worth my time and energy. I only want people to be able to enjoy my writing, but not at the expense of myself.

So, I'm moving back to posting on AO3 only. All of my fanfics are all originally posted there, and there are a ton of stories I never posted here due to FFNET's strict guidelines.

I apologize deeply to all my faithful readers here, but I will always be active there and I welcome you all to join me there as well. It's a better community with active readers who can comment to their hearts content, and with a more friendly writing system.

All my fics will only be updated on AO3 from now on.

To all demanding reviewers: fanfic writers write for FREE. You demanding us to update constantly creates the opposite effect. Reviews should be real reviews. If you want a fic to go how you want to, write it yourself or pay someone.

Farewell and best wishes,

AristoMuse


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